Caracas, Venezuela, June 27, 2005—Land reform leader Braulio Alvarez barely escaped an assasination attempt last Thursday, after receiving two gunshot wounds. Alvarez was intercepted on a highway in the Venezuelan state of Yaracuy by two gunmen after leaving a meeting with local landless workers. The assassination attempt against Alvarez appears to fit into a larger pattern of violence against leaders of Venezuela's land reform that has emerged since the Land Reform law was first passed in 2001.

Alvarez, a deputy to Venezuela's National Assembly (AN) as well as an
historic peasant leader, was meeting with landless workers last Thursday
in the Northeastern Venezuelan state of Yaracuy, a region that includes
both large agricultural holdings known as "latifundios" as well as a
large manufacturing center. As he left the meeting, a Chevy Blazer
pulled up along side him and two masked men opened fire on his car.
Alvarez received a gunshot to his right shoulder, and one to his right
leg, but is reported to be stable in hospital.

Since Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez passed a land reform law in
2001, violence against those attempting to implement the government's
planned reform has skyrocketed.

According to an April communiqué by an alliance of Venezuelan human
rights groups called "Forum for Life" (Foro por la Vida), "The frequence
with which over the past several years, activists and leaders of the
national peasant movement have been assassinated represents a grave
situation that obligates the government to present a fitting and
opportune response." "According to denunciations by peasant groups,"
the communiqué continues, "over 80 peasants have been assassinated over
the past 8 years."

However, many peasant associations put that number much higher. The
country's largest peasant organization, allied with the state in the
land reform, is the National Agricultural Coordinator Ezequiel Zamora
(CANEZ), named after a Venezuelan hero of the 19th century Federalist
Wars who fought for peasant rights. CANEZ counts over 100 assasinations
of peasants and peasant leaders just since 2001.

According to Claudia Jardim, a journalist for the State Cultural channel
Vive who produces a special program on the country's land reform
process, the number of assassinations has increased sharply since
January, when Chávez declared war on the Latifundios. Since January,
says Jardim, the political murder-rate in the countryside has jumped to
an estimated one peasant leader per week. That means Braulio Alvarez
nearly missed becoming the estimated 24th victim of 2005.

The Forum for Life communiqué continues, noting that the method is the
sicario or hitman. Yet despite the clear escalation, the Forum notes
that "at present there has yet to be a serious investigation to
determine the material and intellectual responsibility," for the
sicariatos ("hits"). Nonetheless, the Forum believes "there are
sufficient indications to presume that behind a majority of these
killings are sectors interested in boycotting the process of agrarian
reform spearheaded by the government." Venezuela's Forensic Police
(CICPC) are reported to be cooperating with the recently restructured
Military Intelligence Police (DISIP) in an investigation into the
assassination attempt against Alvarez.